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50Hz versus 60Hz

Hi, a friend of mine brought over his wire feed when he came over from Germany which operates on a 50Hz scale. While it still works I don't think that this machine o our 60Hz system will last. Perhaps those of you that are well versed In electrical and electronics can explain the problems with this set up and maybe a fix? Thanks in advance.

You can run most 50 Hz equipment on 60 Hz, but NOT the other way around. Induction motors that are frequency dependent will run a bit faster and have a little less power, but in most cases this will not affect the operation. Equipment designed to run on 220 volts will accept 230 volts without a problem, but in the USA many locations have 240-250 volts and this is a bit high for the safe use of European tools. A transformer called a Buck/Boost Transformer can be used to reduce the USA voltage to meet the European tool's requirement. These are not large nor expensive for smaller single phase needs, but you will need to actually measure the voltage at the point of use to determine which transformer to buy. Your local electrical supply can provide them.